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If there’s only one thing that can be said about this Jazz team, it’s that they will never quit. Regardless of the circumstances, whether the ball goes in the hoop or not, they will play a full 48 minutes.
Friday night was just that.
Despite a night where they couldn’t get a 3-pointer to fall when they needed it most, Utah nearly pulled off the upset before falling in heartbreaking fashion, 126-125, in Sacramento.
“Obviously just a tough, tough finish,” coach Will Hardy said after the game. “I thought our guys hung in the whole game, battled. … Credit to Sacramento, they played well. Our guys stuck with it and continued to compete all night. … Taking the lead late showed a lot of determination for our group.”
One of the best three-point shooting teams in the league, the Jazz executed the offense brilliantly for most of the game. They got a lot of open looks but couldn’t find a way to string some together and break the game open. Overall, they shot 8-for-32 from deep – with Mike Conley being the only player to knock down more than one.
“Another tough night for us behind the three-point line with a good look,” Hardy said. “As far as three-point shooting goes, I think it’s going to come back. … I like the threes we got. Very positive for us tonight in our game.”
Before the announcement, Lauri Markkanen made it known that being named to the NBA All-Star game was a personal goal of his – after Utah’s goals as a team. Even though the Jazz may have come up short on Friday, Markkanen continued to make his case to play in the February showcase.
Despite a rough shooting night from three, he proved vulnerable inside the arc with 36 points and five rebounds. He shot 16-for-24 from the field, with all but one of his goals coming from below the three-point line.
After a slow start to the first half by his standards, he exploded in the third quarter with 12 points – including dunks on three straight possessions to start the second half. He had arguably the game of the season so far when he dropped a monstrous dunk on Kings star Domantas Sabonis that shocked even Sacramento fans.
“Lauri is a beast,” Hardy said. “Once he got into a rhythm, he hit some of those two-point shots over the top that he does. It was a sign of a lot of growth that when he didn’t have his three-point shot, he still finished with 36 points.”
As he has all season, Jordan Clarkson continued to be everything the Jazz needed and more. In the minutes that Markkanen would sit, Clarkson would take over for the Jazz on offense and did a great job of making a living in the paint and at the free throw line.
His ability to break down defenses at any moment was clinical against the Kings, always keeping his dribble alive and knocking down the contested shot with his ability to stop on a dime.
He finished with 25 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two assists, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 9-for-10 from the charity stripe. It was also his sixth straight 20+ point game.
Still sleeveless, Conley was sensational for Utah all night.
He was essential in Utah responding to Sacramento’s big buckets by controlling the tempo and making sure the Jazz got good looks almost every time down the court. He also continued to break out of a shooting slump by knocking down ___ from beyond the arc.
Conley finished with 17 points, eight assists and two rebounds, shooting 4 of 8 from deep.
The Jazz looked like a team playing their third straight road game early in this one as Sacramento jumped out to a 6-0 lead. After a pair of quick buckets by Utah, the Kings went on a 7-2 run.
Again, the Jazz stayed the course and pulled away as Markkanen and Clarkson found early success getting to the rim. Trailing by seven late in the first, Utah scored the final four points, including three by Walker Kessler.
Utah trailed 30-27 after one.
A lot of credit went to the Jazz in the second as they always stayed close to Sacramento, never letting the Kings open it up. Whether it was Clarkson, Markkanen, or whoever, Utah always had an answer to stay within striking distance.
After Sacramento took a nine-point lead midway through the quarter, Kelly Olynyk drilled a big three to silence the crowd. The Kings led again by eight late in the second, but Utah responded as Kessler — who was sensational — had a bucket and Markkanen added three free throws.
The Jazz trailed 60-57 at the break.
The third quarter started with a bang as Markkanen declared war on his international star Sabonis with an unbelievable poster. It was the second of three straight dunks for Markkanen as he single-handedly kept Utah alive.
After Sacramento stretched its lead to 10 and the crowd got nervous again, the Jazz continued to fight back as a quick 8-0 run — including six points by Clarkson — made it a two-point game late in the quarter.
Once again, the Kings looked like they were going to run away with the game, but Rudy Gay knocked down a three and Fox’s shot on the other end was after the buzzer.
Utah trailed 91-87 heading into the fourth.
After buckets by Markkanen and Vanderbilt gave Utah a two-point lead with five to go, the Kings responded with a 10-0 run of their own to pull ahead 119-111 with just under three minutes to play.
The Jazz weren’t out yet, going on a 14-4 run to lead by two with 26 seconds left. After stopping the first two shots, the Kings got another offensive drive and found Kevin Huerter for the three and the lead with nine seconds left.
Utah would have one last chance, but Markkanen’s shot was short.
Kessler finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and a team-high +17 rating. He changed the game when he came in, as his length troubled the Kings at the rim, especially Sabonis.
Utah has no time to rest as they return home to face Miami in a New Year’s Eve showdown – tip-off is set for 7:00 PM MT.
“The overall message is there’s nothing we can do about this game right now,” Hardy said. “It’s about regrouping and going into tomorrow’s game in the right space, coming in with a good collective mentality.”
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